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10 of the best baby cups and beakers

Moving your baby onto drinking from a cup or beaker? Here is our pick of great products

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Moving from bottle to cup

Beaker, trainer cup, sippy cup? Whatever the name, they all do one very vital thing - aid our baby’s transition from breast and bottle to drinking from a regular grown-up cup.

When should I introduce a cup?

The NHS and the British Dental Health Foundation recommend your baby should start moving from the bottle and onto a free-flow feeder cup at six months - about when they are sitting unaided - and bottles should be given up completely by the age of one.

This is because the teats and spouts encourage children to suck for long periods of time, which can mean the drinks that cause tooth decay stay in contact with your child's teeth for a long time.

Like the assortment of names, there are a wide variety of baby cups to suit different ages and preferences. You can pick from spouts or straws, handle or open cup, free-flow or valve, cups with a rim valve or angled child-friendly cups with a weighted base.

The NHS says that using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip rather than suck, which is better for their teeth, but it may be more practical on some occasions to choose a different cup.

What shall I give my baby to drink from a cup?

Once you start weaning and you get into a routine of feeding, you can introduce a drink of cooled boiled water at mealtimes. A non-handled cup with a soft spout will be easier for you to hold to help your baby at first.

Breast milk and formula can both be served in a cup too - and it's ok to give your baby water straight from the kitchen mains tap in the UK once they are at least six months old, but it should be boiled and cooled before six months.

As your baby grows, try a cup with handles so he can hold and drink from the cup himself. Hygiene is important, and if you serve milk from a cup, the spout, cup and handles should be sterilised until your baby turns 1.

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Babycup Weaning Cups, £6.99 for four

Suitable for ages: 4 months + (or newborn for breastmilk)

Why we love it: Specifically designed to allow your baby or toddler to sip rather than suck, and ideal if you want your child to skip the sippy cup stage and learn how to drink from a cup straightaway. Suitable from 4 months as a drinking cup, or used to cup-feed breast milk to newborns or premature babies, these little cups were awarded the top spot in the Prima Baby Awards 2016 first cups category.

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Lansinosh mOmma Developmental Drink Set, £13.99

Suitable for ages: 4 months +

Why we love it: With three different attachments, you’re getting a feeding bottle for use from birth, a two-handle non-spill beaker for use from 4 months, and finally a one-handle non-spill straw sipper.

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Vital Baby Trainer Cup, £4.49

Suitable for ages: 6 months +

Why we love it: A bright soft-spouted trainer cup to help your baby make the transition from bottle to cup. A neat two-in-one valve allows you to choose free flow or non-spill modes. Suitable from 6 months and BPA-free, it comes in orange, pink and blue.

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Dr Brown's Soft Spout Transition Cup, £5.10

Suitable for ages: 6 months +

Why we love it: This sip-activated soft-spout trainer bottle has an interchangeable handle and is spill proof. while the attached lid means no losing it while out and about. It’s dishwasher-safe, and comes in either pink or blue.

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MAM Learn to Drink Cup, £5.99

Suitable for ages: 6 months +

Why we love it: This easy-to-hold bottle can be used as either a spill-free cup using the valve, or as a free-flow bottle without the valve. Our reviewer loved the bright and fun designs, and found cleaning this cup a breeze.

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OXO Tot Sippy Cup with Handles, £7.66

Suitable for ages: 6 months +

Why we love it: this cup has a leak-proof valve and the angled, non-slip handles are super easy to hold onto but can be removed when your baby's ready to grasp onto the actual cup. It comes in three bright colours: green, blue and pink.

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Sophie La Girafe Non-Spill Cup, £10

Suitable for ages: 6 months +

Why we love it: Sophie the Giraffe fans rejoice - now your little one can even have their favourite giraffe at meal time too! The cute handled cup gradually reveals Sophie hidden within their milk (or she can splosh about in their water). It can be used with the valve, or without to create a free-flowing spout.